| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he provides regarding inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. [98762]
Jacqui Smith: The Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs points out that LEAs have a qualified duty to secure that children with special educational needs, including children with statements, are educated in mainstream schools. The Code emphasises that, if parents express a preference for a mainstream school, the LEA must comply with that preference so long as the placement is appropriate to the child's needs, while also being compatible with the interests of other children already in the school and with the efficient use of the LEA's resources. The Code also points out that parents may express a preference for a maintained special school, and that if they do so the LEA no longer has a duty to secure a mainstream education for the child.
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to publish his proposals for the education of children with special needs. [98635]
Jacqui Smith: We announced our intention on 17 November to introduce legislation in this Parliamentary session to improve the education of children with special educational needs. The Bill would take forward proposals set out in the document "Meeting Special Educational Needs: A Programme of Action".
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures his Department is taking to raise the profile of the special educational needs of children with autistic disabilities. [98636]
Jacqui Smith: Our SEN Programme of Action highlights the importance of improving provision for all children with special educational needs, including those with autistic spectrum disorders. To support the Programme we virtually doubled, to £35 million, targeted support for SEN under the Standards Fund in 1999-2000 and I recently announced a further substantial increase to £55 million for 2000-01. The Department is also funding Regional Collaboration Projects which are looking at provision for particular special needs, including autism.
We are committed to working with partners in the interests of children with autism. I hosted an Autism in Education Seminar on 21 September this year which brought together interested parties within and outside government to discuss future autism provision in the context of the Programme of Action. Following the seminar, we will be collecting examples of good practice and looking at ways of disseminating them. I was also pleased to speak at the launch of the National Autistic Society's current Autism 99 Internet conference, adding to the messages of support from my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State. The conference, which the Department has been helping to publicise, has a practical focus on meeting the needs of children and adults with autism and their families.
22 Nov 1999 : Column: 43W
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people completing the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds in the West Sussex Coastal Plain Unit of Delivery have secured unsubsidised employment. [98637]
Ms Jowell:
The latest statistics to the end of August 1999, show that 238 young people in the West Sussex Coastal Plain Unit of Delivery have left New Deal for unsubsidised employment. Many others will have found work without telling the Employment Service.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the Government's latest estimate of the proportion of young people in England entering higher education at the beginning of the academic year 1999-2000 from (a) semi-skilled and (b) unskilled family backgrounds and (c) from disadvantaged localities; and what were the comparable figures for each of the last three years. [97153]
Mr. Wicks
[pursuant to his reply, 4 November 1999, c. 321-22W]: I apologise that the figures for 1999 in my original reply related to all students, including mature students, whereas the figures for the years 1996 to 1998 covered students aged under 21. The following is a revised table showing the figures for under-21s in 1999.
| Percentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of entry | ||||
| Proportion from social class(4) | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999(5) |
| IIIM--Skilled manual | 16.4 | 16.7 | 16.9 | 17.0 |
| IV--Partly skilled | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.7 |
| V--Unskilled | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
(3) Aged under-21
(4) The classification system used to assign social class to undergraduates is that used in the National Census--the Standard Occupational Classification published by the Office for National Statistics
(5) Accepted applicants as at November 1999
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Litigants (Fees)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the decision of some county courts to charge fees to litigants for the staying of cases in accordance with the guidance of Sir Michael Scott after Dimond v. Lovell. [98544]
Jane Kennedy:
If a party makes a formal application to the court to stay a case on the grounds of Dimond v. Lovell, a fee will automatically be charged. If the application is granted on the basis of the guidance by Sir Richard Scott, the Vice-Chancellor, the party may ask the court to refund the fee. Only in those cases where the court stays a case of its own motion will a fee not be payable.
22 Nov 1999 : Column: 44W
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects the Chief Executive of the Courts Service to respond to the letter of 5 October from the hon. Member for Aylesbury about the case of Ms Lorna August, which was referred to the Chief Executive on 11 October. [98756]
Jane Kennedy:
A reply to the hon. Member's letter of 5 October was sent on 18 November. A copy of the transcript of the trial involving the hon. Member's constituents has been placed in the Library of the House.
Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. Luff: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons the list of ministerial responsibilities has not been published since the changes to the Government in the summer; and if she will set a target date for its publication. [98640]
Marjorie Mowlam: An updated list of Ministerial Responsibilities was published last week. It is available on the internet at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/central/index/lmr.htm, and hard copies are available to Members at the Vote Office.
TREASURY
Amusement Machines
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate (1) the average tax, VAT and AMLD on different types of cash prize machines in (a) 1997 and (b) 1999; [99164]
- (2) the ratios of tax to turnover on (a) £6 jackpot machines, (b) 2p/10p coin pusher machines and (c) higher prize machines in (i) 1997 and (ii) 1999. [99163]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available. The VAT on machines' takings is not recorded separately on VAT returns, and Amusement Machine Licence Duty records do not identify the receipts from specific types of machine.
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take 2p and 10p stake machines out of licence duty. [99165]
Mr. Timms: The Government keep duty rates under constant review. It would not be prudent to comment on specific Budget measures at this stage. Two penny stake machines are already exempt from duty.
Climate Change Levy
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he intends to exempt kerosene as an industrial fuel from the climate change levy. [98584]
Mr. Timms:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 10 November 1999, Official Report, column 644W.
22 Nov 1999 : Column: 45W
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his policy that the price differential between liquid petroleum gas and hydrocarbon oils should not be widened to the disadvantage of liquid petroleum gas as a result of the climate change levy. [98585]
Mr. Timms:
The price of competing fuels is a commercial matter in which the rates of duty or tax play only one part. The Chancellor has announced his intention to increase rates of duty on fuel oil and gas oil, and this is likely to mitigate incentives to fuel switching after the introduction of the climate change levy.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for concessionary rates of climate change levy on liquid petroleum gas. [99167]
Mr. Timms:
I have no such proposals. Liquid petroleum gas will be subject to climate change levy at the same rate as natural gas.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis the climate change levy will be revenue neutral for the private sector, as set out in his pre-Budget report. [99170]
Mr. Timms:
The climate change levy will be revenue neutral for the private sector because the amount of levy paid by the private sector will be broadly equivalent to the amount private sector businesses gain from the proposed cut in employers National Insurance Contributions and the additional support for energy efficiency measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Pre-Budget Report (Cm 4479).
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the projected two million tonnes of carbon emissions saved as a result of the proposed climate change levy, as set out in his pre-Budget report, is constituted. [99168]
Mr. Timms:
The carbon savings projected to arise from the climate change levy are based on estimates produced from the DTI energy model. They arise from reduced energy consumption and from the encouragement of renewable energy sources and combined heat and power systems.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis he described the proposed climate change levy as revenue neutral between manufacturing and services in his pre-Budget report. [99193]
Mr. Timms:
The climate change levy is expected to be broadly revenue neutral between manufacturing and services because, taking into account the 80 per cent. discount for energy intensive sectors that enter into energy efficiency agreements, the amount of levy paid by the manufacturing and service sectors is likely to be broadly equivalent to the amount each gains from the reduction in employers' National Insurance Contributions and the additional support for energy efficiency measures.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for concessions in respect of the climate change levy for businesses which have invested in energy efficiency measures over the last five years. [99169]
22 Nov 1999 : Column: 46W
Mr. Timms:
The Government welcome the improvements in energy efficiency made by businesses in recent years. All firms that have already made energy saving investments will benefit from lower energy bills--and consequently a lower tax liability--than otherwise would have been the case. And the many firms that have invested in combined heat and power (CHP) plant will benefit from the proposed exemption of electricity generated in CHP plant from the levy.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |